Absentee Voting registration begins August 1st; AV Task Force to provide legal assistance

The Absentee Voting Task Force sponsored a forum on June 22 at the Meguro Catholic Church, Tokyo, to discuss issues pertinent to the registration of Filipino absentee voters from August 1 to September 30 at the Philippine Embassy. The invited speakers were Prof. Artemio Rivera (left) of the International Christian University and Vice-Consul Felipe Carino III (center). Prof. Roland Tolentino (right) of the Osaka University of Foreign Studies facilitated the discussions. About 40 persons attended the event. BNT Photo

The Absentee Voting Task Force, in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, announced the conduct of the registration period for absentee voters from August 1 to September 30.

The two-month registration period, which targets Filipinos aged 18 years and above, will be held at the embassy premises in Roponggi, Tokyo, 7 days a week nonstop as well as in designated consular offices throughout Japan. Only those who register will be allowed to vote in the May 10, 2004 elections as absentee voters.

Documentary requirements are as follows: valid Philippine passport or DFA certification that the person has been issued a valid Philippine passport, a photocopy of the passport or certification and the accomplished prescribed application form (plus the Seaman’s Book and a photocopy, in the case of qualified seafarers). Those who have lost or invalid passports may present their NSO-authenticated birth certificate or expired passports.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (Migrant Committee) with Executive Director Atty. Rachel Pastores-Corro will join the AV Taskforce from July 17 to December 15 to provide free legal assistance to registrants as well as respond to registration-related legal questions and complaints during the registration process.

For more details, please contact the following: Vice Consul Felipe Cariño III at 03-5562-1600, the Absentee Voting Task Force c/o CJFF Room 15 Japan Christian Center, 2-3-18 Nishi Waseda, Shinjuku ku, Tokyo 169-0051 (telefax 03 3209 2439; email - cjff@zah.att.ne.jp) or Yuko (Socorro) Takei at telephone number 03-3491-2408.

Interested parties should visit the Comelec website at www.comelec.gov.ph or join the discussions of the Absentee Voting Movement – Japan at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/av-japan/join. *

Madame Kay Siazon and dignitaries preview Ukon Takayama Opera

Madame Kay Siazon (first row, third from right), wife of Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo L. Siazon, Jr., with guests during the preview of the Ukon Takayama Opera.

A preview of the Blessed Lord Ukon Takayama Opera was held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Kudan, Tokyo, on June 17, upon the invitation of Madame Kay Siazon, wife of Philippines Ambassador to Japan Domingo L. Siazon, Jr.

Invited to the preview were wives of foreign dignitaries in Japan and of Japanese parliamentarians, among them, Mrs. Kumiko Hashimoto, the wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, and Mrs. Akie Abe, wife of Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe.

The Blessed Lord Ukon Takayama Opera, which is based on the life of Lord Ukon Takayama was conceptualized by Mr. Edward Ishita, a Japanese-Filipino opera singer and the General Director of the Tokyo Opera Association. Playing the role of Ukon Takayama is Masaya Hosooka.

The staging of Ukon Takayama on June 25-27, 2003 in Tokyo and subsequently in cities in the Philippines in August and September is in line with the celebration of the ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year 2003 and the 100th anniversary of the Japanese migration to the Philippines.

Lord Ukon Takayama was a Japanese Christian who was sent into exile to Manila by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1614 because of his Christian faith. Ukon Takayama sailed by ship for thirty days to the Philippines and died in Manila fifty days after his arrival.

During his visit to Manila in January, 2002, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi referred to Ukon Takayama as the person whom both Filipinos and Japanese can relate to. *

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